Anyone Else Have Extreme Fear Of Dying?

Hi, my fear of dying is getting worse. I'm 34 now and it started when I was 29. Long road trips make it intensify. One time I had a panic attack in the car with my husband and he had to call an ambulance because I thought it was a heart attack- my heart was pounding and I didn't know what was going on. I didn't want to get into the ambulance and leave him- if I was going to die, I didn't want to be with people I didn't know. It scared him. He tried to understand as much as he could. That was back in 2011. Being in the car since that episode has been uncomfortable.
Sometimes I can't go to sleep because I think I will die in my sleep- I have these pressures in my chest and am dizzy. Anyone have a connection or have advice? I never used to worry about dying when I was in college and before, I just lived, worked and went on trips with my friends with ease. I seized the day back then but I had psychosis after a traumatic event in 2009 (thinking my family and friends hated me when of course they loved me. Anyway I want to make sure my recovery goes in a positive direction. Any thoughts?

Thanks

I too share your extreme fear of dying. I constantly think about will it be painful? I don't want to leave my family. And who knows WTH happens after you go. I usually get tight in the chest as well as my blood pressure skyrockets. When it happens I find a hug from my wife or kids sometimes helps or I try to find a way to keep busy so I don't think about it or I try to do something that makes me feel good. I often hate myself for worrying too because why I have an immense fear over something I have no control over it rules certain facets of my life. So instead of just living and enjoying my time here I'm worried sick about it happening. I'm right there with you.

Ever since I tried to kill myself four times I've been unafraid of death. Facing it down with a bottle of pills and a knife in my hand cured me of that.

I still think you're very brave to carry on. My solution wasn't the right one. In a way, it took courage, but at the same time I was a coward. It takes more guts to resist taking the easy way out.

Oh yes, I'm am still very afraid of dying. I'm not afraid of being dead, but I'm terrified of the act of dying and the myriads of horrible ways that it will probably happen.

I can pinpoint to what triggered this fear, too. My father died unexpectedly when I was 21. It was a heart attack and it left a terrible impression on me. Emergency personnel worked on him for almost an hour. They had brought him back a couple times, but they couldn't hang on to him. A few months later, after the grief really started to sink in (I spent the first few months just trying to keep my mom and my sister together because we had a family business to run) I started having panic attacks at night. My thoughts constantly revolved on how death could strike us at any moment, randomly and without warning. I have a hard time being around very old, infirm people and/or the dying.

It doesn't help that panic attacks make you feel like you're going to die and therefore feeding the panic in a vicious cycle. My panic attacks have lessened and become less frequent over time, but I should have sought help and medication to help treat the symptoms of the panic attacks. I think perhaps it could have helped with my struggle depression and anxiety in some ways.

No. I would WELCOME it.

I think this is a very common fear for everyone, especially those of us with anxiety disorders and panic. I've gone through several "freakouts" throughout my years of being extremely scared of death, ever since my first anxiety attack when I was 16.

I really freak out every time we have one of those "it's the end of the world" things, like the Mayan calendar thing in 2012.

I'm 34 now, too, will be 35 soon, and think the more years that go by, the older I'll get, the closer I'll get to death. Lately I've been combating another anxiety/depression relapse that is focused on the thought of death/aging/etc. that started after a car accident. It's a scary thing when your mind delves into the worry and can't get out.

What I found that helps is mindfulness. It teaches you to stay in the moment, be present, and live without judgement about your world and stress around you. It really helps to stay grounded. I also try to stay positive throughout my day. "It's a beautiful day." "I'm anxious, but I've been anxious before and I know it will not hurt me."

Staying focused on something else helps, too, like a hobby. Or even hugs from the hubby.

I get really intense anxiety related to my health when I'm in bed at night. It seems like that's the one place where there's nothing distracting me from my thoughts. I have a big fear of having a seizure, irrational because there's no reason I'd be prone to one, but all I can think of at night, with every lurch of my heart or dizzy feeling in my head, is that I'm going to have a seizure.

I try and talk my way through it, tell myself I've never had one and there's no reason it would happen now, that I'm not going to die where no one would find me for weeks, that if I just sleep I'll feel better.

I sometimes get this weird thing where it feels like when I'm falling asleep I forget to breathe or can't catch my breath, which wakes me up. That scares me, but I think it's anxiety because once I fall asleep I'm fine.

I am 48 and feel the same. Anything help?

I used to be brave. I used to see dying as a part of life. I used to see serving your country and death being a possibility was something I could live with.

Years after my multiple betrayal traumas, I feared dying all the time. It's never stopped, even though I've attempted suicide twice in my lifetime. It's ironic to fear dying and to attempt in the past, but I did. I don't attempt anymore, but I have a lot of help nowadays.

Still, the fear of dying is there. It grows more and more as I age.

I'm 47 and have felt this fear about dying a traumatic death.

Yes, I can relate to feeling terrified of dying - especially dying while being terrorized in some way.

I fear dying alone, too.

Not really. I tried all last year to join the 27 club but I didn’t have any luck. When I woke up on my 28th birthday I felt like a complete failure. I have a more positive outlook on life now and I no longer think that way. But I’m still not scared to die.

I'm not sure I fear dying, like the concept, but I do fear things related to it.

that my last wishes and rights will be ignored, and also that I'll die without contributing anything to society. I've always thought about it as... well, if I ever had grandkids (I don't want any, so I guess that's okay), but if I did, what would I tell them to make me seem like a roll-model to them. I'm in my 20's.. and I've done nothing!. I don't even have any qualifications under my belt, not one.

but back to the topic: death doesn't scare me much, I think because it's been a waiting game now for so long for it to just happen. every day i think about what if life gets better today, it doesn't

I don't want a funeral either.

only people who will show up are the ones carrying the coffin which will probably have to be specially made for me to fit in.

having no family, it makes that part hard... their's no rememberence. but do I want that?. I really don't know

I am so exhausted and fed up with this. I want to end me but no idea how and too cowardly. I just can never accept aging and dying. I feel disgusting at 48 already. I am completely absolutely hopeless.